"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
Heavy shells roared from the barrels, propelled by immense kinetic force, crashing down upon the enemy warships. On the battlefield, sailors of the island nation's navy and the German navy gave their utmost effort, each side desperate to sink the enemy vessels. For them, survival hinged on one simple truth—kill or be killed; no other path lay before them.
Explosions erupted in the water, sending towering plumes skyward, turning the surrounding sea into a boiling cauldron of chaos.
Despite their numerical superiority, the combined fleet of the island nation's navy found no advantage in battle. Even as they encircled the German ships, it was they who found themselves suppressed under relentless fire.
"Boom!"
After fifteen minutes of concentrated firing, the German expeditionary fleet finally scored its first major hit. A shell from the *Derfflinger* battleship struck the *Satsuma*, a pre-dreadnought battleship of the island nation's navy. The colossal 380mm shell shredded through the ship's two-inch deck armor with terrifying ease, piercing multiple bulkheads before detonating deep within the bow. The devastating explosion left the forward section of the *Satsuma* in shambles, while fires erupted, spreading rapidly within the ship. The sailors, unprepared and without gas masks, rushed into the inferno in a desperate bid to extinguish the flames. Many succumbed to the poisonous fumes, their lifeless bodies strewn across the decks.
"Damn it! Put out that fire immediately!" roared Captain Jishima Shigetarō of the *Satsuma*.
If the flames reached the ammunition magazine, the consequences would be catastrophic. With a displacement of only 19,000 tons, the *Satsuma*, a relic of the pre-dreadnought era, was lightly armored and poorly designed for internal defense. Even the raging inferno posed a mortal threat to the vessel.
The captain's order drove more sailors into the fiery depths, their lives offered in a desperate struggle to save the ship.
"Admiral, the *Satsuma* has been hit and is in critical condition. The Germans' 380mm main guns are devastating—nothing can withstand their power," reported Rear Admiral Yamashita Gentarō, his face pale with unease.
"The outcome will not be decided by pre-dreadnoughts like the *Satsuma*, but by our four *Kongō*-class battlecruisers. If we can cripple or sink the two German battleships at the head of their line, we may yet have a chance," replied Admiral Ijūin Gorō.
The *Kongō*-class battlecruisers, armed with 356mm main guns, were the only ships in their fleet capable of threatening the German battleships.
"We must find a way to close the distance with the Germans. Only at close range can our main guns achieve their full effect. Otherwise, our 305mm shells will struggle to even hit the target," Yamashita urged.
"That is easier said than done. The Germans will not allow us to close the gap. Apart from the *Kongō*-class ships, which can reach 25 knots, the rest of our fleet is too slow to catch the German battlecruisers. If we send the *Kongō*-class ahead, they'll be isolated and overwhelmed by the Germans," Ijūin replied, shaking his head.
And so, the battle continued in a grim stalemate. The island nation's navy, fully aware of their disadvantage, had no means to alter the tide. Perhaps they still clung to futile hope for divine intervention from Amaterasu.
As time wore on, the battle grew fiercer—or more accurately, the German navy's advanced tactics and superior skill began to decisively turn the tide. Meanwhile, the island nation's shells achieved little beyond churning the sea and scattering fish. The inevitable outcome of the battle grew increasingly apparent.
"Boom!"
A 343mm shell from the German battlecruiser *Moltke* struck the *Tango*, an aging pre-dreadnought battleship with over two decades of service. The *Tango*, a relic captured during the Russo-Japanese War, would have long been retired in any Western navy. Yet here, it remained a frontline vessel.
The shell struck the *Tango* at the waterline, where its 368mm armor proved woefully inadequate against modern capped armor-piercing shells. The explosion tore a gaping hole into the hull, allowing seawater to rush in uncontrollably.
The sailors aboard the *Tango* fought valiantly to stem the flooding, but the sheer force of the water made it impossible. Compounded by the ship's poorly designed watertight compartments, even sealing off the affected areas could not prevent the vessel from capsizing. The *Tango's* fate was sealed.
"Admiral, the *Tango* has been hit below the waterline and is taking on water rapidly. Damage control efforts are failing," reported Rear Admiral Yamashita, his expression dark.
Admiral Ijūin closed his eyes in silent anguish. He had known from the start that this battle would claim many ships, but he hadn't expected their losses to mount so swiftly. The German expeditionary fleet was proving even more formidable than he had feared.
"Order the crew of the *Tango* to abandon ship. This battle will undoubtedly be devastating for the Imperial Navy. Saving every possible life is now paramount," he instructed.
At that moment, a glimmer of hope emerged. A 305mm shell from the *Shikishima* battleship struck the German battlecruiser *Moltke*, hitting its forward main turret.
"Banzai!" The sailors of the island nation's navy erupted in cheers as a fireball rose from the *Moltke's* deck.
Their jubilation, however, was short-lived. The *Moltke* emerged unscathed, its turret resuming fire as though nothing had happened.
The sight crushed the morale of the island nation's navy. Their shells couldn't penetrate the German armor, while the enemy's guns tore through their ships with ease. To them, it was as though they were fated to endure this relentless onslaught.